Sodom - 17th August 2011

This year we welcomed a new DARKCHATTER, Chris to the Edinburgh festival. So, arriving in the Scottish capital on a Wednesday night at 10.00pm, what show best sums up what is on offer to a Fringe virgin? A comedian off the television or some late-night music, perhaps. No, I thought we would pick one of the weirder plays on offer, which explains why we headed to Zoo at 11.00pm. Here, Chris immediately heard two of the Fringes most common statements " oh, you want the venue, round the corner" and " it's running a little late".

Soon, we were seated (in the front row, naturally) for The Movement's production of "Sodom". This was never going to be a conventional show with the opening speeches drowned out by a trombone (which never re-appeared) and an Italian sounding musician, who when not performing, retreated into a small fridge. The play revolved around Toby Parker-Rees's (also taking the lead role) re-working (in rhyming couplets of course) of The Earl of Rochester's story about the King and Queen of Sodom.

Raunchy doesn't describe the language. Every speech seems to mention prick and the c word which gets boring once you get past the intial feeling of shock and amusement. You obviously couldn't produce the play any earlier but after a long day at the fringe (this was my 7th show of the day) my exhausted brain wasn't willing or capable of trying to untangle the sub-Shakespearean dialogue or the plot.

I was amused by the sight of two lads taken from the audience to stand (for quite a while) in a crude pose but generally I wanted the show to end so I could head to Pleaseance courtyard for a much needed drink.

Oddly, despite the subject matter ( sex) and language, only the musician exposed any skin and that was presumably because the fridge was so hot. Overall, although this show polarised opinion Chris was happy to lose his Edinburgh cherry here. Result!